Vodafone Oman has become the first communications service provider in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to successfully upgrade and migrate its entire end-to-end core network to Ericsson’s latest cloud infrastructure. This upgrade was completed seamlessly without disrupting network traffic.
Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has fully automated the upgrade of Vodafone Oman’s core network applications and cloud infrastructure, positioning the company to deploy 5G standalone services for both consumer and enterprise customers. The project encompassed a comprehensive upgrade of the Ericsson end-to-end core network, cloud infrastructure, network management, life cycle management, and business support systems (BSS), marking a significant achievement in the GCC region.
Vodafone Oman’s upgraded core network consists of virtual and containerized functions operating on the new cloud infrastructure. This includes critical components such as the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Unified Data Management (UDM), IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), and Management and Orchestration (MANO) applications. The transition to these advanced core network functions was facilitated by Ericsson’s automation pipeline, minimizing the need for human intervention.
This upgrade allows Vodafone Oman to reduce network risks by implementing the latest security patches and enhancements while improving overall performance and accelerating the time-to-value compared to traditional manual processes.
The Ericsson Orchestrator managed the upgrades of various project elements, providing automation packages that enabled experts from both companies to ensure a smooth transition to the latest technologies, empowering Vodafone Oman to deliver exceptional network experiences to its customers.
The upgrade was executed seamlessly by the Ericsson Service Delivery team in collaboration with Vodafone Oman and the Ericsson Managed Network Services team, which oversees network operations. This joint effort aimed to enhance Vodafone Oman’s network performance and reliability, ensuring an improved experience for its users.
Notably, over 200 live node activities (LNA) were executed with a 100% first-time-right success rate, without any incidents or escalations.
Bader Al Zidi, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Oman, stated, “At Vodafone Oman, we are committed to supporting the goals of Oman Vision 2040 by driving digitalization and fostering economic growth. We are actively collaborating with global technology leaders, such as Ericsson, to create a connected tech-telco ecosystem. This upgrade, along with the introduction of the Ericsson automation framework to support further automated upgrades, is a vital step for us in implementing new technology services and preparing for a smooth introduction of 5G SA. Automation will enhance our daily operations and set the stage for future expansion.”
Nicolas Blixell, Vice President and Head of Ericsson Gulf Council Countries, expressed, “We are delighted to be a trusted partner of Vodafone Oman in the continued evolution of its network. By leveraging the power of automation, we are improving the CSP’s operational and energy efficiency, boosting performance, reducing time to market for new services, and lowering costs by eliminating manual processes and enabling zero-touch operations.”
Ericsson has maintained a productive partnership with Vodafone Oman as its core and cloud network supplier since the launch of the CSP’s trial operations in the country in 2021. The two companies are collaborating to deliver a state-of-the-art 5G standalone network while enhancing Vodafone Oman’s radio access network (RAN) and transport capabilities, in addition to developing a cloud-native microservices-based 5G infrastructure.
